Once upon a time there was a hill full of rabbits. This particular hill had a king rabbit. One day the king rabbit called a meeting and all the other rabbits who lived on that hill came along.
"This meeting is about the food we eat," said the king rabbit. There was a murmur of excitement because rabbits love their food.
"All of us eat lettuce," said the king rabbit, "but some of us also eat carrots." The other rabbits nodded at each other in agreement. They could see they had a wise rabbit for a king.
"I used to eat carrots," continued the king rabbit, "but now I have stopped. Carrots are bad for me. I don't like them any more. Therefore I want you all to stop eating them."
There was a sudden shocked silence, and then many of the other rabbits began talking at once.
"But we like carrots! ..."
"They keep my family healthy! ..."
"I never need to wear glasses because I eat carrots! ..."
"My father taught me to eat carrots! He taught you too, remember? ..."
"We've eaten carrots on this hill for 300 years and they've never done us any harm! ..."
The king rabbit heard the commotion and he spoke again.
"Let's have a vote," he said. "I want you all to sign this piece of paper - twice."
All the rabbits crowded closer.
"First of all you have to sign your name saying whether or not you want to keep on eating carrots," said the king rabbit.
"Then," he continued, "you have to sign saying whether or not you want all the carrot eating rabbits thrown off the hill!"
Now aren't you glad you're not a rabbit. Or are you?
(This story is continued in Horror and My leader is a holy man.)
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Such an interesting description of tyrannical states of mind, those that insist that all must align with their (one) view of reality. The issue of course is how we deal with those internal tyrants which inhabit us all. And the outrage and 'off with his/her head' that can emanate from a monarch challenged. So it is with our challenge to tyrants: we defy them toward freedom but at times we lose touch with our minds/heads, with our capacities to think. Vastly enjoying the many ways we seem to intermingle thoughts...in several related strands...and the balloon rides are marvelous!
ReplyDeleteInteresting choice of word Maxine - "tyrant". If only this story was about one person's inner world. Sadly it isn't. It mirrors a real world situation where real people are suffering.
ReplyDeleteTo see personal meaning in everything is good. A storyteller tries to encourage this and I'm very grateful for your sharing these insights. Sadly, these rabbits have real names.